Game apparatus



A. R. BABCOCK GAME APPARATUS Nov. 14, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 4, 1937 IMM@ Nov. 14, 1939. A. R. BABcocK GAME APPARATUS l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1937 Patented Nov. 14, 1939 PATENT oFFifcE GAME APPARATUS Alfred n. Babcock, chicago, ,111.

Application November 4, 1937, 'Serial No. 172,846

3 Claims.

This invention relates to game apparatus. adapted for use in connection with games of chance, sales promotion contests, and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a' device which cannot be tampered with by the operator and will provide an equal chance for anyof the individual characters to appear in the window of the casing after each opera- `The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple and durable aligning device 'which will serve at the 'completion of each operation 4to circumferentially align the characters appearing on the wheels with each other and with rthe window in the casing.

The present invention is an improvement on the device shown in my Patent No. 2,121,494, granted June 21, 1938 covering a Non-repeating indicator. l

` The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodimentrin` the accompanying drawings, in which: f ,l

Figure lfis a front elevational view of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2, a sectional'view of the machine, .taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 3; Fig. v3, a sectional view, taken as indicated. at line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a sectional view of the weighted aligning member, taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, a fragmentary sectional view, taken as indicated at line 5 oi Fig. 3.

In the embodiment illustrated, A designates a housing'frame; B, a driving shaft; C, rotors which are jcurnalled on the shaft B and are equipped with weighted aligning members C; D, ratchet mechanism; and E, crank mechanism equipped with an operating handle E.

The housing frame or casing A is shown comprising a pair of cast end plates 6 which are secured to a base 'I by means of screws 8. The end plates provide bearings 9 for the driving shaft and crank mechanism. A sheet metal closure IIJ is secured to the end plates and is provided with a window II for observation of the characters on the rotors C.

The shaft B is journalled in the end plates and is transversely shiftable by the crank mechanism against the action of a compression spring I2. A starting arm I3 is pinned to one end of the shaft and limits the forward oscillation of the shaft by engagement with an adjustable stop I4 provided on a bracket I5 which projects from one of the end walls 6. An arm I1 is pinned to the shaft near its opposite end and a tension spring I8 urges the starting arm i3 forwardly against the stop.

The rotors C are vrotatably mounted on a journal portion I9 which is pinned to the shaftl B. The rotors are cylindrical and have a pair of sheet metalV end portions 2D whose outer end portions are provided with flanges 2| which form a seat for a belt-like strip of sheet metal 22. The disks are shown with bearing portions 23 which rotate freely on the member I9 and move laterally with the shaft B. The disks are connected together at regularly spaced intervals by means of equally spaced cross bars 24 to provide ten circumferential notches adapted to receive the aligning members C. The reduced end portions of the cross bars 24 are riveted over to` permanently secure the disks together, as indicated at 25.

The aligning member C is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and comprises a hollow metal wheel 26 which isy provided with a hard rubber tire 2l whose side portions are beaded, as indicated at 28. As shown in Figs. 3 and .5 the disks 2U are provided with two rings of semi-circular barbs 29 which are struck inwardly and forwardly in the direction of travel permitted by the ratchet mechanism D. These barbs are for the purpose of cuing the aligning member C forwardly and upwardly in the direction of travel permitted by the ratchet so that when the rotor C stops turning, the aligning member will be above and in advance of its lowermost position. It will have dropped into any one of the notches between the members 24 and its weight will in every case cause the rotor to reverse its direction until it is stopped positively by the ratchet mechanism. The members 24 are disposed so that the notch thus formed will be slightly advanced, about 5 from the vertical, when the ratchet arrests its vrearward travel. The inwardly struck radial ribs 30, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are merely to reinforce the disks. As will be readily understood, a series of characters, corresponding in number vto they number of notches in the rotor, may be attached to the belt 22. These characters may be in the form of a printed strip 3l.

The ratchet mechanism D comprises a group of ratchet-wheel laminations 32 which are permanently secured to one of the disks by means oi rivets 33. The ratchet-wheel thus formed provides a number of teeth corresponding to the number of notches in the rotor. They are positioned with respect to the notches, as explained above. A pawl 34 is pivotally mounted on the journal member I9, as indicated at 35. A light compression spring 36 urges it outwardly into engagement with the ratchet-wheel.

The cranking mechanism E` operates in substantially the same manner as the one shown in my Patent No. 2,121,494. A shaft 31 extends through the bearing 9 and has a hollow inner end portion to form a loose bearing for the end of the shaft B. The outer end of the shaft 31 is provided with a hand lever E and its inner end is provided with a cam arm 38 which is adapted to engage the back of a hardened steel finger 39 secured to the arm I3. A tension spring l urges the member 38 and the handle E into its upper forward position. When the handle E is drawn downwardly, the arm 38 engages the plate 39 and the arm I3 and rotates the shaft B rearwardly, stretching the spring I8 and the spring 4B. As theI rotation continues a cam face li I, extending inwardly from one of the end plates 6, presses the shaft B to the left, as viewed in Fig. 2, compressing the spring I2. Finally the arm I3 is released from engagement with the crank arm 38 and the shaft-B is then free to be thrown forwardly under the influence of the tension spring I8. In this movement the pawls 3K3 will engage the ratchet-wheels and start the rotors. turning at a high rate of speed. As the hand lever E is allowed to return to its normal position under vthe influence of the spring IIB, its front cam face (not shown) will again press the shaft B to the left suiliciently to permit the arm to snap back into the position shown in Fig. 2 and be ready for the next operation.

As will he readily understood, when the rotors are started spinning through the winding and release mechanism, the weights C will be rotated with the wheels in one of the notches, and will remain in the particular notches in which they started until the speed of rotation is reduced to a point where the force of gravity is suiicient to overcome the centrifugal force developed. When this occurs, the aligning members will drop out of the notches in which they started and will tumble down towards their lowermost positions. As the rotors are still moving, the barbs 29 will cui the members along forwardly and upwardly until rotation stops. When this occurs, the aligning member will drop into the nearest front notch and cause the direction of rotation of the rotor to be reversed until it is positively stopped by the ratchet mechanism. Although the mechanism is extremely simple in operation, long and repeated tests have shown that it is capable of aligning the characters on the wheels with respect to the casing Window during each operation.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in vievir of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character set forth: an oscillatable shaft; a hollow rotor journalled on said shaft and provided with circumferentially disposed characters; ratchet-wheel and pawl mechanism for imparting rotation to said rotor from said shaft in a forward direction and restraining it in the opposite direction; a plurality of axially disposed cross bars dividing the inside of the rotor into notches corresponding in number with the teeth in the ratchet-Wheel; and a weighted .aligning member within said rotor adapted to tumble into any one of said notches when the speed of rotation is slow, said rotor having inwardly extending barbs to engage the aligning member and carry it forward and be yond its lowermost positon as the rotor stops its forward rotation so that the aligning member will reverse the direction of rotation of the rotor until stopped by the ratchet.

2". A device as specified in claim 1, in which the rotor is provided with sheet metal end portions and the barbs are struck therefrom.

3. A device as specified in claim 1, in which the cross bars are disposed to form notches radially disposed with respect to the ratchet-wheel teeth so that the .aligning member will be slightly in advance of its lowermost position when the ratchet mechanism stops its rearward movement.

ALFRED R. BABCOCK. 

